ETHNIC GROUPS

Indigenous Sudanese include Nilotic or Negroid peoples, of whom the
Dinka form the largest portion, and constitute about 52% of the national
population; Arabs (an estimated 39% of the population); and Beja (6%).
In all, there are nearly 600 ethnic groups. Foreigners constitute 2% of
the total populace; other groups another 1%.

LANGUAGES

Arabic, the official language, is the mother tongue of about half the
population. Besides standard Arabic, Nubian and Ta Bedawie are also
commonly spoken. English is used widely, in many cases serving as a
lingua franca among the southern tribes. In all, more than 400 diverse
dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages are spoken.

FISHING

In the southern provinces and towns, fish, particularly the Nile perch,
is a diet staple. The river yields some 110 varieties of fish, and the
Red Sea is another valuable fishing ground. In 2000, the total catch was
50,000 tons, 88% from freshwater sources.

INSURANCE

All foreign insurance companies were nationalized in 1970; there were at
least 20 Sudanese insurance companies in 1997 and a National Reinsurance
Co.